The Port Harcourt City
Local Government Area of Rivers State, (PHALGA) says it would henceforth sanction business premises and residential houses that fail to turn out for monthly exercises in the state capital.
The caretaker committee chairman of the council, Barr. Clifford Oparaodu, who stated this while monitoring the  August 2015 sanitation exercise frowned at those who refused to come out for the exercise.
He noted that the council  would  look at the laws and take appropriate action against defaulters, especially traders at Ikoku, shop owners along Evo Road, GRA and Abuja  By- pass in mile  three, amongst others.
“It is important that on every sanitation day,  residents and  shop owners must come out and clean their environment”, he said.
The council boss expressed regret that despite  several announcements  and sensitisation, the places  mentioned  have remained  unkempt  even as he frowned at the practice whereby youths  engage in street  football during sanitation hours.
He emphasised the need for using the stipulated three hours appropriately so as to improve the health condition of residents of the city.
On the expected flooding, he called for adequate  preparations on the part of people of the state by cleaning the drains and disposing refused at designated areas.
“We have heard that there is an impending flood in some parts of the state, if we do not prepare, and clean our drains then we will have problems” he said.
He added that it  was important that people became alert so that the city would  be free  from flooding.
Throwing more light, he counselled, that if the city was made  clean, it would be better for all as it was not a one-man affair but that of every citizen  staying and doing business in the city.
“Ours in government is to provide the  facilities  for evacuation, so I see  no reason why residents will not take part,” he said.